Government urges people of Leicestershire to make #quickupdates to secure against online attacks

Leicestershire Police is supporting a campaign by Cyber Streetwise urging people and businesses across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to download the latest software and app updates as soon as they are available.

Cyber Streetwise was launched in 2014 with the objective of providing the public and small businesses with the knowledge to take control of their online security and protect themselves from cyber criminals.

Software and app updates contain vital security upgrades which protect devices from viruses and hackers. The latest government stats, based on an Ipsos MORI survey, reveal that 75% of people in the East Midlands don’t always download the latest software updates for their mobile phone or computer as soon as they are available.

The government strongly recommends that individuals and businesses regularly update software on all devices that use the internet to allow the latest security updates to be installed. This provides greater protection from viruses and other online threats.

The most common reason survey respondents across the UK gave for not downloading the latest software updates for their computer was that it was too time consuming and took too long. However the few minutes it takes to download software and app updates can save hours compared to the time that it can take to recover from a cyber hack.

The survey also found that 77% of people felt they did not know enough about the security benefits of downloading the latest software updates for computers and 74% for mobile phones. This is why Cyber Streetwise has launched their #quickupdates campaign.

Paul Wenlock, Head of the Economic Crime Unit at Leicestershire Police, said: “Three quarters of all online crime is preventable. By downloading software updates when issued, people can make life difficult for online fraudsters. They contain vital security updates which help address vulnerabilities in software, plugging gaps which hackers use to gain access to your devices.”

Lynn Farrar, Chair of Neighbourhood Watch, said: “We wholeheartedly support the #quickupdates campaign and we are urging everyone to download software updates on mobiles, laptops and computers as soon as they appear in order to protect against cybercrime. This is such a quick and easy way to protect yourself, your family and your community against hackers it makes sense to get into the habit of doing it as soon as you possibly can.”

Online crime is a serious threat to the UK and the government is taking action to increase public awareness of the risk. The government is investing £1.9 billion to significantly transform the UK’s cyber security. The National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP) will support the aims of the 2016 National Cyber Security Strategy over the next five years and reflects the importance the Government places on robust cyber security for the UK. A National Cyber Security Centre will actively protect the UK from a range of cyber threats and will coordinate responses to cyber security incidents.

To find out more, including how to set your devices to automatically download the latest software updates visit Cyber Streetwise